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PhD Researcher
Course: Structured Ph.D.
Role: PhD Candidate
Email: emma.kirwan@ul.ie
Qualifications: MSc. Health Psychology, National University of Galway, BSc. Psychology, University of Limerick
Proposed PhD title: Understanding loneliness in emerging adulthood: a mixed-methods approach
PhD supervisors: Dr Ann-Marie Creaven, Dr Páraic Ó’ Súilleabháin, Dr Annette Burns (Health Research Board)
Project Funding: Irish Research Council Government of Ireland Postgraduate Scholarship
Project Description
Loneliness is the distressing feeling that accompanies the perception that the quality or quantity of one’s social relationships is inadequate. Loneliness is common in young, or emerging, adulthood (18 to 25 years) and is associated with poorer physical and mental health outcomes. Therefore, it is important to better understand loneliness in emerging adulthood. Informed by key loneliness theories and broader developmental theory describing emerging adulthood as a distinct period of the lifespan, this research aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of loneliness in emerging adults. I hope to advance the research in this field by conducting a research that is informed by multi-disciplinary approaches to loneliness and complemented by the perspectives of young adults in Ireland.
Memberships
School, Child and Youth Mental Health and Well-being Research Lab (SCY-LAB)
Study of Anxiety, Stress and Health Laboratory (SASH Lab)
Centre for Social Issues Research (CSI-R)
Recent publications
Creaven, A. M., Kirwan, E. M., Allen, E., Ogoro, M., Burns, A., O’Súilleabháin, P. S., (2023). Exploring Loneliness and Social Isolation in Emerging adulthood (ELSIE) [Data set]. Digital Repository of Ireland; Irish Qualitative Data Archive. https://doi.org/10.7486/DRI.j673dx25m
Kirwan, E. M, O’Súilleabháin, P. S., Burns, A., Ogoro, M., Allen, E., & Creaven, A. M. (2023). Exploring loneliness in emerging adulthood: a qualitative study. Emerging Adulthood, 21676968231194380. https://doi.org/10.1177/21676968231194380 *
Summerville, S., Kirwan, E., Sutin, A.R., Fortune, D., & O’Súilleabháin, P.S. (2023). Personality trait associations with quality-of-life outcomes following bariatric surgery: a systematic review. Health and Quality of Life Outcomes, 21, 32. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12955-023-02114-0